Seona Reid Building, Glasgow School of Art

The design is of international quality and reflects the unique character and aspiration of the Glasgow School of Art as a cultural institution. The new building is a vibrant hub, providing a daily point of contact between the three branches of the school.

Date2014

ClientGlasgow School of Art

Value£30 million

jmarchitects with Steven Holl Architects were selected from 150 entrants to design and deliver the prestigious new Glasgow School of Art (GSA) building opposite Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s famous Garnethill landmark in Glasgow’s city centre.

The planning and design of the building is highly complex given the range of requirements for bespoke designs for each department and spatial flexibility. We managed series of workshops to establish the detailed functionality of every space in the building, and provided interactive 3D visualisations of our designs to assure end-users that they have everything they need to accommodate their unique working requirements.

A robust exposed concrete frame and massive shuttered concrete interior walls are contrasted by a lightweight translucent façade treatment that complements the heavy stone façade of the existing iconic Mackintosh masterpiece opposite. Old and new are then unified by a significant development of the public realm between the two buildings, providing a much enhanced setting for both.

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The Challenge

GSA aimed to significantly enhance the teaching, learning and research facilities available to its students and staff, whilst providing access to public spaces including galleries and the Simon Sainsbury Mackintosh Interpretation Centre. Phase 1 of a larger campus redevelopment is a new undergraduate school for all design courses.

The Solution

The concept of the building includes “circuit of connections,” a central ramped circulation pattern interlinking the various levels from the basement lecture theatres, past ground floor main entrance and second floor social and dining areas, to the various levels of studio spaces above.

The Outcome

All pre-contract timescales and deadlines were met and funding was successfully achieved on programme. In addition, by ensuring that the design and construction sequence incorporated comments raised by affected parties, the project acknowledges local issues in terms of working hours, routes to site, safeguarding local issues and improvement.